2 suspects arraigned in shooting of police officer

Patrick Morel and Melvin Guzman, right, two of three defendants involved in the marijuana drug deal that went bad, appear in court Wednesday April 23, 2014. A Paramus undercover police officer was shot and wounded in the incident. Brian Neary, defense attorney for Morel, is at left. (AP Photo/The Record of Bergen County, Carmine Galasso, Pool)(Photo: Carmine Galasso, AP)

HACKENSACK – Two of the three men charged in the shooting of an undercover police officer in a northern New Jersey shopping center parking lot have made their initial court appearances.

The Record reports 19-year-old Melvin Guzman of Garfield entered a not guilty plea at Wednesday’s hearing. But 21-year-old Patrick Morel of Clifton did not enter a plea because he does not yet have an attorney.

Bail for both remains at $750,000.

The third suspect, 25-year-old Passaic resident Rafael Vasquez, didn’t appear in court because he’s hospitalized with gunshot wounds to the left arm and left leg, authorities said. He had surgery on Tuesday, and his bail has been set at $2 million.

All three defendants face robbery, aggravated assault and weapons charges. Vasquez is also charged with attempted murder.

The officer, a member of the Paramus Police Department, was “resting comfortably” at Hackensack University Medical Center where he underwent surgery Tuesday after being shot in the right hip and left lower leg, Paramus Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said. The officer’s name has not been released because he works undercover for the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office’s narcotics task force.

He is expected to make a “100 percent recovery,” Ehrenberg said, but may need several additional surgeries.

The courtroom was packed with police officers, many in uniform, who came out to show support for the wounded officer.